Shredder-feeder.



UNITED STATES Patented septeinber 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHREDDER-FEEDER.

E-PECIFI'JATION forming part of Letters Patent NOT/40,245, datedSeptember 29, 1903.

Application filed April 7,1902. Serial No. 101,693. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CRANE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Veedersburg, in the county of Fountaina'nd features inthe appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shredder-feeder embodying myinvention. Fig.2 is a section on the line 2 20f Fig. 1.

Referring first to the example of my im provement shown in Figs. 1 and2, desig; nates a runway leading from a stack or load of corn-fodder anddesigned to discharge into the shredder 11, which is of the ordinaryconstruction and need not be fully disclosed herein. The material iscarried along in this in; stance by means of an endless carrierconsisting of bands 12, to which the cross-slats 13 are connected atintervals. These cross-slats preferably consist of metal, so that theymay be made quite thin and still have sufficient strength, and as aconvenient meansfor securing-the'sa'me to the belts I employ L-shapedirons 14, the slats being secured to one member, while the other memberis secured to the belt. At the outlet end the carrier passes over anactuating-roller 15. At some times it is necessary to change thedirection of movement of the carrier. the shaft of the roller 15 isprovided with two pulleys 16 17. The pulley 16 has band connection 18with a pulley 19 on a shaft of the shreddin-gmechanism, and the pulley17 has a cross-band connection 20 with a pulley 21 on saidshredder-shaft. The pulleys 16 and 17 are loose on the shaft of theroller, and to place the pulleys into operative connection For thispurpose with the shaft I employ a clutch member 22, mounted toslide onthe shaft, but adapted for rotary movement therewith. This clutch member22 has clutching-teeth 23 at. one side designed for engagement with theclutchingteeth 24 on the pulley 16, and on its opposite side the clutchmember 22 has teeth 25 for engaging with clutch-teeth 26 on the pulley17. By this arrangement it is obvious that by placing the pulley 16 intoclutch engagement with the roller-shaft the said roller will be rotatedto move the carrier forward. ward movement is desired, the clutch member22 may be quickly shifted by means of a lever 27 into engagement withthe pulley 17. When it is desired to stop the carrier or the feedingmechanism while the shredder still continues to operate, the clutchmember 22 may be moved to a central position, as clearly indicated inFig. 1.

Extended across the upperside of the runway near its outlet end is adownwardly and forwardly inclined deflector-board 28. Thisdeflector-board 28 is connected to the side boards of therunway by sidepieces 29 and presses or forces the stalks downward as carried along bythe endless carrier and directs the same to the rollers 30 and 31. Theserollin its normal position is inclined downward and forward, so that theroller 30, which may be termed the packing-roller, will be on aslightly-higher plane than the feeding-roller 31. The frame 32 has arms33 connected to it, and these arms are inclined forward and upward andhave swinging connection on a rod 3 1, mounted on the top of theshredder- -casi.ng. I

From a standard 35 on the shredder-casing there is a spring 36 and chain37 connection with the frame 32. By this arrangement the frame carryingthe rollers is permitted a slight vertical movement, and it may beadjusted as to its inclination by changing the connection of a link ofthe chain 37 with a Also by means of this chain the frame carrying therollers 30 and 31 may be swung back onto the top of the shredder-casingwhen the machine is not is use or for transportation.

In the operation of the machine the fodder ers have journal-bearin gs ina frame 32, which I hook on the spring or a hook on the frame.

If a backis carried along by the endless carrier and passed by thefeeding mechanism to the snapping-rolls 43, and from these rolls thefodder is passed to the shredder mechanism and thence is carried 06 inthe usual manner to a place of storage.

It is obvious that in a feeder embodying my invention all danger to anattendant is practically obviated and the material may be fed evenly andcontinuously to the shredder. WVhen notin use, the feeding mechanism maybe readily removed and packed in parts of the machine. If desired, theseveral rollers of the feeder may be made of sheet metal suitably bracedon the inner side, or it is obvious that they may be made of wood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A shredder-feeder comprising a runway, adeflector-board at the outlet end of the run- Way, a frame mounted toswing relatively to said board, rollers mounted in said frame, oneroller being on a higher plane than the other, a yielding connectionbetween the frame and shredder, an endless carrier, a roller aroundwhich said carrier passes, means for rotating said roller and means forchanging the direction of rotation of said roller.

- 2. The combination with a shredder and a runway of a frame, rollersmounted in said frame, arms extended from said frame and pivoted to theshredder, a standard on the shredder, and a yielding connection betweensaid frame and standard.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. CRANE.

Vitn esses:

JAMES SIMPSON, JOHN P. HARTMAN.

